Oh no! Council’s move on bins leaves residents ‘offended’: ‘I thought it was funny’

In the quest to keep our planet green and our streets clean, local councils across Australia have been implementing various strategies to encourage proper waste disposal and recycling habits among residents.

However, one council's approach has sparked controversy and left a Melbourne street feeling collectively 'insulted' by what has been dubbed as 'bin shaming'.



The incident unfolded in Essendon, where a routine bin collection day became a neighbourhood talking point.

Kali, a local mum, had performed her weekly ritual of taking out the bins and went off to grab a coffee, unaware of the surprise that awaited her upon return.


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Kali and her neighbours found this on their rubbish bins, leaving the entire street ‘offended’. Credit: Kali


Each bin, including hers, had been adorned with a conspicuous yellow tag bearing the words 'oh no' in bold red letters, a public reprimand for incorrect recycling practices.

‘We found items that don't belong in your mixed recycling bin,’ the note read. The tags, which were attached to nearly every bin on the street, specified the issue—in Kali's case, 'reusable shopping bags' were the culprits.

The City of Moonee Valley Council's website clearly states 'NO bagged items' in the recycling bin, but it doesn't specify whether this rule applies to paper bags as well as plastic, leaving room for confusion.

Kali, who has lived in her home for over nine years, expressed her bemusement at the council's tactic, finding humour in the situation despite feeling a bit 'bin shamed'.

'I thought it was funny that I got bin shamed. I'm sure we're all guilty of [recycling incorrectly], it's an easy mistake,' she said.

‘Our whole street was embarrassed about it,’ she added, saying ‘other neighbours were more offended’ than she was.



While the council's move surprised residents, it was not without precedent.

Other Melbourne councils, such as Merri-bek and Yarra Ranges, have employed similar methods, including 'random bin inspections' and emoticon-based feedback tags, to educate and motivate residents about recycling.

Sydney's Inner West Council has also used sticker reminders on bin lids to inform residents of collection schedule changes.

A spokesperson for the City of Moonee Valley Council explained that the intention behind the tags.

‘Council’s intention is to provide information to people at their homes through our kerbside bin education program to create more awareness, so everyone in the community can recycle right,’ the spokesperson said.

‘We understand that recycling can be confusing and that there may be a misunderstanding in what can and can’t go into a recycling bin.’



Despite the initial shock, Kali admitted that the incident sparked a conversation on social media and prompted her to be more mindful about recycling.

'It's got people talking, and it will make me think a bit more about what I'm recycling, and I'll be more diligent,' she conceded.
Key Takeaways
  • An entire street in Melbourne was 'offended' by bin 'shaming' tags placed by the City of Moonee Valley Council to inform residents of incorrect recycling.
  • The tags, which had 'oh no' written in big red letters, signalled that non-recyclable items had been found in the recycling bins.
  • Residents, including Essendon mum Kali, were surprised, and some felt embarrassed by the public notice of their recycling mistakes.
  • The council's spokesperson explained the tags were part of a kerbside bin education program to create awareness and help the community recycle correctly.
Have you experienced 'bin shaming' in your area? Do you think it's an effective way to encourage proper recycling, or does it miss the mark? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
 
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I don't know about other councils but ours (Shoalhaven) used to put stickers inside the recycling bin lid when they delivered your new bin. The stickers clearly listed what could and could not be put in the bin. Simple and effective. The Shoalhaven is still taking out awards for recycling initiatives.
 
It is easy to access the council websites that list items for disposal in the recycling, and those that should not. If they still don't know what should go in, then clearly they don't give a toss, and should be 'street shamed'.
 
Well our complex would fail miserably, although the yellow bins have a list inside the lid hardly anyone in the complex apart from those of us who clean the bins, would even be able to tell you what it says.:(
 
It is easy to access the council websites that list items for disposal in the recycling, and those that should not. If they still don't know what should go in, then clearly they don't give a toss, and should be 'street shamed'.
A bit harsh for the elderly and disadvantaged.
 
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A few years ago we had labels put on our bins if someone put recycling in the red bin.

can't put any bags in the bin !!! Eww I can't imagine just throwing food rubbish straight in the bin . That's looking at encouraging rodents 🤮
 
Ahh the BIN POLICE are out and about..... What next......
They've been out and about for over 30 years. When we lived in s/w Sydney a bloke would come around every week before the recycling collection, throw open the bins and Chuck anything he didn't think belonged, right into the middle of your driveway. We used to joke about his 'petty dictator' complex as he wasn't always right.
 
They've been out and about for over 30 years. When we lived in s/w Sydney a bloke would come around every week before the recycling collection, throw open the bins and Chuck anything he didn't think belonged, right into the middle of your driveway. We used to joke about his 'petty dictator' complex as he wasn't always right.
I would throw it beyond the line that divides the property, and it would be the council's responsibility to remove it.
 
I don't know about other councils but ours (Shoalhaven) used to put stickers inside the recycling bin lid when they delivered your new bin. The stickers clearly listed what could and could not be put in the bin. Simple and effective. The Shoalhaven is still taking out awards for recycling initiatives.
Yes but some people put other things like plastic bags, filthy oil stained pizza boxes in. When this happens council reloads everything into the truck and it is sent off to landfill defeating the whole idea of recycling
 
A few years ago we had labels put on our bins if someone put recycling in the red bin.

can't put any bags in the bin !!! Eww I can't imagine just throwing food rubbish straight in the bin . That's looking at encouraging rodents 🤮
Launceston council don’t allow recyclable plastic bags either, apparently their machines can’t handle them, so my son suggested I use paper shopping bags and it works a treat. We have a clean bin & the bags get used. My son of course lives in a shire that supplies the plastic bags but alas I don’t.
 
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When Council pays me for sorting their bins for them, then I might be even more careful about what goes where.
It’s really not hard to sort out which stuff goes where & put it in the appropriate bin. Our three bins work very well & we usually only have one small bag of garbage each week.
 
The problem is, once you put your bin out it becomes a free for all. I have a neighbor somewhere who puts recycling in my bin in a plastic bag. They sneak out late at night, because they don't ask. If the bin collection comes late, I often find extra's in my bin. :sneaky:
 
We have a ranger who sits in his car, peers into the recycling bin and if he spots an item which should not be in there, he puts a label on the bin. The garbage collectors will not pick up a bin with his label, even if he is wrong with his assessment. Power hungry little toad!!
 
When I was sharing a recycle bin with elderly neighbours, I would have to remove their non-recyclables every week. This was despite initial and ongoing discussions with them as to what was allowed and what was not, PLUS signage on the bin. Very frustrating!
 
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Yes but some people put other things like plastic bags, filthy oil stained pizza boxes in. When this happens council reloads everything into the truck and it is sent off to landfill defeating the whole idea of recycling
A few years ago (or maybe more) I read about the recycling being sent offshore to impoverished Asian countries, and the whole lot of it got sent back because of the filth (including dirty disposable nappies) that was included. Charity under a sneaky way of getting rid of our own problems. 🤥
 
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